Dinner buffet all-you-can-eat around 85rmb;
Lunch buffet around 45rmb
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While several other Indian restaurants around town can claim to make better food, Punjabi has cornered the market on price. With several lunch and dinner set options available, as well as a tasty 85rmb all-you-can-eat-and-drink (beer) buffet, Punjabi is a sure winner for anyone on a budget. The restaurant's interior matches the food's authenticity, as does the band that occasionally entertains with sounds from the sub-continent.
Before I provide my reservations about this place (pardon the pun), let me start with the atmosphere, which I rather enjoyed. The interior is relatively new, sporting marble tables, faux unfinished brick (I've never quite understood this), slate tile floors, a small stage for what I have been told in other reviews houses a wicked trio playing Indian folk tunes (more on that later), and of course, the requisite idyllic (massively reproduced, no doubt) paintings of India. (Of particular interest: a clean sari clad woman, casually using a potter's wheel as if it were something that could be managed without incident (my brief summer camp experience with a potter's wheel taught me otherwise--clay flying everywhere, finding clay in my hair for days, etc.); an Indian woman, well-lit a la Virgin Mary with some adoring Bapu in the background; an Indian scarecrow, which I have never heard of (Eastern) Indians having (when I searched it on google, I found some crazy article about using high frequency soundwaves to remove birds from the Delhi airport).)
Now for the food. I got the fixed lunch special for 49RMB, which is a pretty good deal. You get daal, a giant heap of basmati rice, raita, mango custard, a red beef curry, a green chicken curry, and a slice of naan. The best parts about this meal were the real Indian staples, the daal, naan and raita. Everything else was way below standard. Both curries were too bland, and worst of all, they were cold.
I suppose that this is what you get when you go in for the lunch special on a Sunday -- the leftovers. I would completely write this place off except for the fact that, as I said before, the staples were pretty good. This makes me think that if I were to go in for dinner and order a la carte, then I might have better luck. (I might get something that was cooked that day.)
To top it off, I really want to check out that band. Even if I were to get a repeat performance in terms of food, it would be worth it if the band rocked my socks off.
we went there on 20th of January, 2008. the building and the entrance of the restaurant is so old and unfashionable. but the inside decoration and ambiance is satisfactory. we went there for Sunday evening; but, except from two table, it's wholly empty. the staff and service were good but i can't say the same for foods. tastes were so so but most of the foods in the buffet were not hot enough, even cold. there was less bread in the buffet and they didn't put the new ones during an hour. also, there were just two curries, two vegetarian foods, rice and salads. there should have been more different foods in the buffet. the overall rating for me is 3/5. i will prefer to try other Indian restaurants next time.
Well i went today and it kind of Sucked. Specially for people from sub continent the food should be good. I would rather go for chinese food then eat Indian again.
I WAS AT THIS RESTAURANT
IN NOV. 2004, I FOUND THIS PLACE VERY FRIENDLY
AND VERY HELPFUL. FOOD WAS GREAT. PLANNING TO VISIT AGAIN IN NOV. 2007. S.S.RAM.
The food is delicious and authentic. Especially the chicken curry and the fried fish. I think the decoration is fitting to the place and it would be better if they have more live indian dancing. Nonetheless, it would be better if they include keema (ground mutton curry), prata, murtabak, spicy mutton soup, and briyani into the spread. The spread for the salad counter is rather dull though, it would be better if they more varieties for the salad counter. Overall, this place is definitely value for money as compared to Indian Kitchen and the food is equally good if not better.
I just discovered that they have a similar outlet over in Pudong at Lian Yang, the Big Thumb Plaza （大拇指广场）and the price for the buffet dinner at night is RMB48 as compared to RMB90 for the one at XiangYang Road. According to the staff, the spread is the same for both places. Thus the price differential is very substantial for a large group of people.
had a 45 Y +10% - lunch set. food served on metal tray that strongly reminds me of my former university's canteen. however tray was big enough to fit 2 curries, dahl, cumcumber raita, and a dessert+ rice and a naan bread. dont know much about indian cuisine, but that one was tasty. however, beware of the furniture, the chairs, for tall people, literally a pain in the ass.
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